


Stood Up

by Rugsrat



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 11:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6115500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rugsrat/pseuds/Rugsrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami gets stood up at a restaurant. Good thing the waitress is nice about it. And hey, free cake!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stood Up

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a tumblr prompt. It's cute! I think.  
> *now with minor editing*

They had agreed to meet in a restaurant in downtown that served food from every nation. Asami had suggested it specifically because she wasn’t entirely sure what her date would want. Spicy curry from the Fire Nation? Savory beef from the Earth Kingdom, fresh vegetarian spring rolls enjoyed by Air Nomads? Maybe salty seaweed noodles from the Water Tribe. Regardless, Kwong’s was sure to be able to provide.

So for the week leading up to their dinner, Asami had made a reservation (after pulling in a small favor from the owner in order to get in during the exceptionally busy Friday evening time), then called her dry-cleaner to make sure her dress was finished on time. 

Right on schedule, Miss Sato. Right on Schedule.

So on Friday at precisely 6pm she sat down at her corner table, and took a sip of her water.

It seemed that her date was not quite on time. In a business situation, Asami would have considered it either a power play at best, or unpreparedness at worst. But with Friday traffic, she wasn’t overly surprised. And finding parking in Republic City was a… challenge, even on the easiest days. 

“Are you waiting for someone, miss?” asked the waitress, who was holding a pair of menus, and Asami looked up from her water. Her eyes met crystal blue, and she smiled quickly. 

“Yes, thank you, my date should be arriving shortly.” An unexpected rise of nervous excitement in her stomach, along with a little hunger.

The waitress smiled back at her, knowingly, the smirk on her face evidence that she had seen this before.

“Well, I hope the date goes well! Can I get you a drink while you wait?”

“The water is fine for now, thank you.”

“Alright then, I’ll be back in a few minutes to check on you. I’ll be your server tonight, so flag me down if you need anything, my name’s Korra.”

“Thank you, Korra. I will.”

She passed the time by quickly checking on emails from her staff. After about ten minutes, she looked up, and realized her date was still not arrived. No missed messages either. A feeling of unease settled in her gut.

“Maybe he thought we were meeting at six-thirty…”

But six-thirty came and went, and still her date hadn’t arrived. And Asami was now feeling the embarrassment full-force.

“Is everything alrigt, miss?” The waitress, Korra, asked, and Asami sighed heavily. She could see the realization on her face. Korra knew what Asami was just now admitting: She had been stood up.

“I think I could go for that drink now. Tea please.”

“No problem. I’ll bring that right out.” Korra replied quietly, “Do you want any appetizers to go with that?” 

Asami shook her head despite her hunger, the shame was not going to let her eat just now.

“Just the tea for now, please.”

“You got it…” The waitress paused, and Asami thought she was going to say something more, but then she half-shook her head, sending her brown, chin-length hair softly waving.

Asami watched her go, for lack of anything better to do. Her waitress walked with confidence and purpose that Asami envied at the moment, and when she passed by another waiter, she pushed him gently when he said something Asami couldn’t quite hear at her. They seemed very… familiar with each other. 

Ah. There it was. The stab of jealousy and anger.

She checked her phone again. Just in case. No. Nothing yet. Fourty-five minutes late. He wasn’t coming.

When she next looked up, Korra was back, with a small tray holding a pot of tea and a small cup.

“So I guess your date got held up, huh?”

“Stood up, actually.” Asami replied cooly as the tea was poured. Korra winced.

“That’s rough, buddy.” She said softly, and set the cup in front of her. When she stood straight again, Korra brushed an errant strand of hair back behind her ear, and Asami idly noticed that Korra’s arms very well-muscled. Good for her. “I’m sorry…”

“Asami.” She supplied, without really realizing she had done so.

“I’m sorry, Asami.” Korra repeated. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything? You’ve been here a while, you’ve got to be hungry by now.”

Asami’s stomach rumbled softly in agreement. Fine then.

“Seaweed Udon, please.”

“You got it, Asami. Coming right up.”

The food didn’t take as long as she had expected it to. It seemed that her noodles arrived within only a few minutes of Korra taking the order, but she was back, with a steaming bowl and porcelain spoon, and something else that Asami didn’t remember ordering.

“Cake?”

“Yep. Always make me feel better after a bad day. I figured you could use something sweet for after dinner. No charge.”

“You didn’t have to…” Asami started, and Korra waved a hand, smiling reassuringly.

“Please take it. My shift’s about to end, and I didn’t want to leave without making sure you were ok.”

Asami fixed Korra with a fairly direct look, unsure if she was to take this woman seriously or not. Was this normal protocol? Or was she being pranked on top of being stood up?

“I’m alright.” She settled on, finally. “Thank you, Korra. I hope your night goes better than mine.”

“Thanks, I hope yours gets better.”

And then the waitress was gone.

Asami dug into her noodles, which were better than she was expecting, and a dark hand settled itself on the table in front of her, and Asami looked up, swallowing her bit of food as she did.

It was Korra. Back again. This time, without an apron or notepad, and in a change of clothes from her waitress ensemble.

“I’m sorry for interrupting again, but would you mind if I joined you?”

Oh, what the hell? It’s not like this night was going to get worse. What was some pity from a waitress? She gestured to the seat across from her, and Korra sat down, setting her hands flat on the table for a moment.

“So… what was his name?”

“I’m sorry?”

“The jerk that stood you up? What was his name?”

“Oh. Mako. His name is Mako.”

“First date?”

“Yes.”

“Would it help if I offered to beat him up for you? Because I could.” Korra rubbed the back of her neck, looking a bit sheepish.

Asami quirked an eyebrow and let her eyes wander back to those biceps again, lingering for just a moment.

“I have no doubt you could. But better not. He’s a detective.”

“Interesting. I’ve never beat up a cop before.”

“Have you beat up a lot of people?”

“Honestly, this would be the first outside of a tournament. But seriously, how could anyone flake on a date with you? You look gorgeous! This Mako guy is an idiot”

Asami flushed at the compliment. The red dress was one of her favorites, and she had taken pains to make sure her makeup was well done this evening. It was nice someone noticed.

“Thank you, but you really don’t have to…” Have to what, exactly? Asami wasn’t sure.

“Hey, someone ought to tell you. I’m just glad it’s me that got to and not stupid-flake-boy Mako.” Korra reached across the table, and stopped just short of putting her hand on Asami’s. The contrast between bold statement and hesitation was decidedly endearing. “You deserve better.”

“Korra…” Asami began, and found herself wanting to take the hand on the table in front of her. What was stopping her? Other than the fact that this was a total stranger. And her fading feeling of mortification at the situation. And Korra did have lovely blue eyes… She placed her pale hand on Korra’s much darker one, and the waitress stiffened up in surprise for just a split second, before sandwiching Asami’s hand in both of hers. “Thank you for all of this.”

“No problem… but you better eat that cake after, though, or the sous-chef is gonna kill me.”

“For wasting cake?”

“Basically.” Korra said, and laughed softly. Asami allowed herself to join in, and in an uncharacteristic show of forwardness.

“Well, then I suppose you should help me finish it.”

“I’d love to. He makes awesome cake. Noodles first.”

The pair talked for some time While Asami finished her noodles, Korra relayed some of her favorite stories from her job here. While Asami replied with anecdotes from Future Industries Research and Development.

“Why did he think a rocket-propelled unicycle was a good idea?” Korra asked, taking a bit of cake with her fork.

“I couldn’t begin to tell you what was going through Varrick’s head. The man has so many screws loose.” Asami replied, and took a sip of her tea, now slightly cool.

“Well, could be worse, I guess. He lived.”

“Yes, I suppose he did… though that might not be a good outcome.” Korra laughed at that. Asami found herself enjoying that laugh more and more as their time went on.

“So… any plans for the rest of the weekend?” Korra asked, suddenly switching topics.

“Not particularly. I’ll probably barricade myself in my room and order in.” That and avoid contact with Mako if he ever tried to get in touch again. “Yourself?”

“Oh, I was going to go detective-hunting.”

“And how do you go ‘detective-hunting’ exactly?”

“I don’t know. Want to figure it out with me?” Wow. that was forward. Asami wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Korra seemed to notice her hesitation, and immediately flushed, and waved her off. “I mean, I was just kidding, I was mostly wondering if you wanted to hang out or something and…”

Asami smiled, and Korra paused for breath. 

“How about we forget about detective-hunting and go see a movie instead?” She offered.

“Sounds perfect.”


End file.
